Kathleen Wicks – Educated in interior design and construction, together with experience in furniture design, pottery, fibre arts, woodworking, drawing and painting, intuitively informs Wicks’ work. The makers, artists and collectors that populated her childhood cultivated her interests. The largest influence on her aesthetic came from her frugal father who used at-hand materials to produce, build and repair.

This installation incorporates discarded wool blankets to address the paradox of wealth and value in our society where the environment and the economy are at odds. The resources needed to maintain wealth which fuels consumerism contrasts with the balance in the natural world.
I recognize the value of the wool blankets. The transformation in Common Thread from utility to art questions the value society puts on using discarded objects and their place in a system of wealth. Would placing higher value on natural materials like wool, constitute a shift in the economic paradigm?
My inspiration comes from fond memories of my grandmother weaving wool into fabric. The properties of wool have fascinated me through my profession and creative endeavours. Wool blankets arranged and formed into familiar shapes and objects draw connections and elicit emotions. We are at a critical cross roads where wealth is blinding our sense of value.

Come Up To My Room (CUTMR) Toronto’s largest alternative design show enters a new decade with new initiatives and a diverse lineup of local and national talent: 25 installations, 60 artists, and 4000 visitors, all in under 4 days. Gladstone Managing Director of Art, Britt Welter-Nolan is joined by three new curatorial forces: Jaclyn Blumas, Robert Cram and Elise Hodson.